Base for glasses.



No. 796,876. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

H. SMITH.

ABASE FOR GLASSES. APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 28,1903.

Wigzfmd A fraz/6723697? Mg@ mwyww'z HARRY SMITH, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

BASE FOR GLASSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed August 28, 1903. Serial No. 171,145.

To @il whom, it' may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HARRY SMITH, a citizen of theUnited States, residingat Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Bases for Glasses, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a base for glasses, and the device, which issimple in construction, capable of easy and inexpensive manufacture, canbe employed with facility in many connections. One advantageousadaptation of the article is in conjunction with chemicalgraduate-glasses, in which use it is clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. Thestructure of the parts represented in said drawings and the advantagesfollowing the same will be set forth at length in the followingdescription, while the novelty will constitute the basis of the claimsucceeding such description.

I do not limit myself to the exact disclosure made by the drawings anddescription, for certain changes as to several points may be made withinthe scope of the said cla-im.

Referring to said drawings, Figure lis what may be considered a rearelevation of a graduate-glass provided with a base including theinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a catch hereinafter more particularlydescribed.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of theseveral figures of the drawings.

The bases or feet of graduate-glasses are easily broken, and when thebase or foot of a glass is broken the latter becomes practicallyuseless, as it cannot be stood in an upright position. By means of myinvention I can advantageously employ glasses having brokenbases or feetor can attach the invention to whole glasses in order to preventthebreaking of their bases or feet. It will therefore be understood thatone advantageous use of the invention is in connection withgraduateglasses, one of the latter being represented in the accompanyingdrawings.

The graduate-glass is denoted in a general way by 5, and it -includesthe usual cup portion and base, the neck joining' the cup portion andbase having an annular groove.

The base, which is detachably connected with the glass, is preferablymade from wire, as by Fig. 3 vis a horizontal sectional planview of theglass and base.

this material cheapness and lightness are secured,as well as acertainamount of resiliency. The base includes in its construction what I terma base portion 6, the same beingof annular divided or split form andbeing' adapted to rest upon a suitable support, as aprescription-counter. The base portion 6 is so con.- nected with theglass 5 as to be located below the base of said glass, so that when thebase portion 6 rests upon a marble counter, for example, the glass basewill be above such counter, so that the possibility of its becomingbroken is exceedingly slight. From the ends of the divided annularportion the glassholding arms 7 projectinward, each arm consisting of ashort vertical portion and an elongated horizontal portion, the verticalportions of the angular arms being directly united to the base portion6. The horizontal portions of the glass-holding arms 7 are provided withsubstantially semicircular portions 8, which are adapted to lit into theannular groove near the bottom of the glass 5. Beyond the semicircularportions of the arms 7 are the forwardly-diverging projections 9, whichserve as effective guides upon the application of the base to agraduate, it being' understood that the base constituting` thesubject-matter of this invention is subordinate or auxiliary to theregular base of the glass, or if the regular base be broken as asubstitute therefor.

The following is the operation in applying the base to a glass:Initially the outwardlyconverging projections 9 are introduced into theannular groove near the bottom of the glass, and either the glass or thesupplemental base is moved to advance the glass between the horizontalportions of the arms 7. Duringl this motion said horizontal portions areswung outward until the free ends of the semicircular portions 8 crosswhat might be considered the transverse diameter of the glass. When suchpoint is passed, the two arms automatically close upon the glass for acertain distance. I prefer not to rely upon the resiliency of the twoarms 7 to hold the same positively connected with the glass, but forthis purpose provide means separate from the auxiliary base, as will nowappear. In the present instance this means consists of a catch denotedby 10 and which may be made from sheet metal. The catch l0 is sleevedonto the vertical portion of one of the arms 7, and it has a hook l1 atits free end to engage the vertical portion of the other arm. Of coursewhen the supplemental base is being applied to a glass'the hook of thecatch l() does not engage with the coacting vertical portion of the arm7. Y When, however, the supplemental base is applied to the glass, thearms 7 are pressed toward each other, and the hook l1 is passed over thecooperating vertical portion, so as to hold the arms 7 securely in theirclosed condition. By this means the glass can have no relative motionwith respect to the base nor can the two parts become accidentiallyseparated. Vhen, however, it is desired to remove the supplemental basefrom the glass, the hook l1 is disengaged from the arm 7 that it isconnected with, when the arms7 either by moving the glass or thesupplemental base can be readily separated from the glass, the armsduring such motion swinging outward. The base portion 6 of the device isgenerally made of larger Idiameter than the glass to which it isconnected, so as to providegan ample support for the glass withoutpossibility of the latter being easily tipped. The semicircular portions8 of the arms 7 are concentric, or practically so, with the dividedannular base portion 6, so that when the glass is connected with thesupplemental base the two parts will be symmetrically disposed withrespect to each other.

As hereinbet'ore indicated, the supplemental base may be effectivelyapplied either to graduate-glasses with unbroken bases or those withbroken bases. In the former case when the supplemental base is used thepossibility ot' the glass-base being broken is remote, while in thelatter case glasses may be employed which are generally considereduseless.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is In a device of theclass described, formed of a single length of wire bent to the form, adivided annular base portion, the ends of the base portion provided withinwardly-extending arms disposed diametrically of the said base portion,each arm consisting of a hori- Zontal and a vertical portion, thehorizontal portions of the arms extending approximately in parallelismfor a portion of their length and having successively at. their innerends semicircular glass embracing portions and outwardly-divergingportions, the arms at the junction of the said semicircular andoutwardly-diverging portions approaching each other and being' separatedby a space approximately the same as that between the straighthorizontal portions of the arms, combined with a catch consisting of asleeve supported for turning' movement by the vertical portion oi' oneof said arms and having a hook for engaging the vertical portion of theother arm.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

HARRY SMITH. l/Vitnesses:

HEATH SUM-IERLAND, ELWELL A. DICK.

